Picked up my 2001 SR5 firday night and so far love it. A few questions though;

First - When I put it into 4WD and cut the wheel all the way to on side the truck dosen't stop. My '94 would come to a stop if I did that. So does my jeep and any other 4WD I have ever driven. Could there be something wrong with the 4WD?

Second - I have a Center Diff. lock button. Is that the electronic locker button?

Third - With only 14,000 on the clock I'm going to chnge the fluids to synthetic. Will that void the warrenty?

Thanks for your help gang.

 

#3, No it wont void the warranty.

I am not positive about 1 and 2.

 

Do you mean that if you're coasting slowly and crank the wheels to one side, it stops? That's an interesting test.

Since your new one has a Center lock button, that means the center is normally open, so the front and rear axles can turn at different speeds when in 4WD. This way, when you crank the front wheels over, the front axle spins faster than the rear but the open center differential allows it and doesn't bind.

Most "real" 4WD's have no center differential...it's just locked all the time it's in 4WD. When you turn the front wheels, the drivetrain forces the front and rear axles to turn at the same speed and it induces friction, or bind. That's likely the "stop" you are describing.

If you lock the center differential on your new truck, it should behave much as you are accustomed to. 4WD with an open center diff. is a strange animal since any one wheel losing traction will leave you stuck. You will find that locking the center diff offers much better traction, even if it does bind on sharp turns. Just refrain from locking the center on pavement--the bind can be rough on the drivetrain if the tires can't slip to compensate.

Eric

 

Oh, and the center diff lock is an electric locker, but it's not the type you may be thinking of.

It locks the center differential, located in the transfer case between the front and rear driveshafts. If your truck has the electric rear locker, you should have a separate switch to lock the rear axle differential. Otherwise you still have open front and rear differentials and don't have a "locker" as it is usually mentioned in the 4x4 world.

Eric

 

Thanks Eric! it makes sense now.

I wonder why you would want to run the center diff open. If it gives less traction why bother.

 

It's really only less traction if you've lost traction to one or more tires. The open center diff allows for more precise stearing and less wear & tear on your drivetrain parts, tires, etc.

I don't know if this will help, but here is some 4WD & differential information for you:

4WD Info

Differential Info

 

It's so that you can run 4WD on the pavement. With open front, center, and rear differentials, you can use 4WD on the street with absolutely no binding. It can be more surefooted on streets with snow patches or rain or those sorts of things. But if you get stuck, lock that center diff.

Eric